


Coming Out

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic [67]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Asexual Character, Coming Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Issues, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 12:13:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6906601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LJ Comment Fic for Happy Endings prompt: <i>Any, any parent and child, making up after a fight</i></p><p>In which AJ has something important to tell his dads, and Rodney doesn't react very well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Out

“You’re being ridiculous!”

“And you’re being too hasty! You don’t have enough experience, you don’t know –”

“I hate when you get like this!” AJ stormed out, the door sliding briskly shut behind him.

Rodney almost chased after him. He was all worked up, and he had plenty more to say on the subject, but John stopped him with one word, the disapproval thick in his voice.

“McKay.”

Rodney turned on him. John had been pretty quiet during AJ’s whole speech, sitting on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table, and now he was frowning and making with the pouty mouth.

“Don’t give me that,” Rodney snapped. “He’s only sixteen.”

“I knew I was gay when I was twelve.”

“This isn’t the same thing!” Rodney knew he wasn’t wrong, not about this. “He’s led a pretty sheltered life here. He hasn’t had enough experience with romantic relationships, how can he know anything about his sexuality?”

“Are you even listening to yourself right now?”

“I’m the only one making any sense!”

John sighed. “Rodney. When did you know you were bisexual?”

“That’s not –”

“When?”

Rodney scowled. “I always knew, I just didn’t know what it was called.” He held up his hands to forestall John’s next words. “But that was different. I lived in Toronto. I could experiment. And don’t tell me it was any different for you, because you’d be lying. I’m sure you had plenty of country club types throwing themselves at you.”

“Do you even know what it means? Being asexual?”

Well, no. Not exactly. Rodney was pretty sure it meant AJ didn’t like having sex, but how would he even know? He was still a virgin.

“Ask him,” John said. “And listen. And remember how hard it was, when you came out. And how scary.”

The first time Rodney got caught kissing a boy, his father had been furious. He’d been grounded, and had to sit through lecture after lecture about how McKay men were straight, how they had to have children to carry on the family name. There’d been threats, promises of heavy-handed retribution, and none of that had stopped Rodney from kissing boys when he wanted to.

“Fine. I’ll talk to him.” Rodney could handle almost anything, but emulating his father in any way was unacceptable.

AJ wasn’t hard to find. The pier that had once been John and Rodney’s had become a family place, and more often than not AJ would go there to think, staring out at the water with his legs dangling off the edge. He was all hunched in on himself, and Rodney felt a pang at the sight of his son looking so miserable.

Rodney sat next to AJ, who shifted away from him. Another pang. “Explain it to me.”

“Are you ready to listen?”

Shit. He’d been crying. Rodney was officially the worst father in two galaxies. “I am. I really am.”

AJ didn’t look at him. “I did my research, you know? Because I thought something was wrong with me. Torren’s been with his girlfriend, he wants to talk about it all the time.”

“Torren’s having sex?” Rodney didn’t know why he was so surprised; teenage boys were notoriously horny. It was weird, though, because he could remember Torren as a toddler waddling the halls of Atlantis, chasing after Rodney’s RC car.

“Torren’s not the only one,” AJ replied quietly.

“Wait. _You’ve_ had sex? With who? How did I not know this? Does your father know this? Because I can’t believe he wouldn’t tell me.”

“He doesn’t know. And it was during last year’s Athosian harvest festival.”

He had sex with an Athosian girl? Teyla would kill him if she found out. And yet Rodney was a teeny bit proud of his son, which was some kind of Neanderthal throw-back emotion. He had to stop himself from acknowledging that AJ was a man now.

“So I’ve had experience, Pop. And I didn’t like it.”

“Do you like _any_ of it?”

AJ shrugged. “Kissing is nice. But I don’t want to see anyone naked. Or do anything with them once they are.”

“Well, maybe you’re just gay.”

That finally garnered him a look, and Rodney had to fight to keep his mouth from hanging open. AJ really was his son, because he understood that particular expression. It meant AJ had done hands-on research with both sexes. And Rodney had no doubt he’d done plenty of other research as well. Gone online during one of the weekly databursts with the SGC, probably, and maybe even talked to Carson.

“Not gay?”

“Not gay. Not straight. And not confused about it.”

“But…you’ll be alone.” It was the worst thing Rodney could think of: a life lived in physical solitude. He couldn’t imagine living without John, and all the casual touches and searing kisses and orgasms. The thought of his son doing without all of that made Rodney’s chest ache.

“Pop. I’m not the only asexual in the world. Or even the galaxy, I’m pretty sure.”

“I’m going to have to think about this, okay? I don’t know enough about it.” Rodney hated not knowing about things that were important, to himself and to his family. He’d do his own research.

“It doesn’t mean I’m weird,” AJ said, his voice small in a way it hadn’t been in years.

Rodney threw an arm around his son and pulled him close. AJ had been a touch-feely little boy, but the onset of puberty had meant a withdrawal from the cuddling and hand-holding and tight, tight hugs. He didn’t seem to mind it this time, hugging Rodney back and letting out a shuddering breath.

“It means you’re just weird enough for this family,” Rodney said roughly, his throat tight. “Don’t let anyone tell you any different. Not even me.”


End file.
